Co-packing pricing: what a run costs, every fee, and why each one exists.
People hate surprises, so here's all of it: run prices for HFFS sachets, stick packs and hand fill, every fee that can apply, and the reason behind each one. Pencil out your job before you talk to us.
Quick answer: At North Lakes Copacking, $2,750 flat covers machine setup and the full run for up to 5,000 HFFS sachets or stick packs, counted across flavors. Above 5,000, sachets are $0.25 each to 25,000 and $0.18 each to 50,000; stick packs are $0.30 each to 25,000 and $0.22 each to 50,000. Hand fill starts at $1.00 a pouch. Blending ($0.50–$1.50 per lb) is not included. HFFS zipper and gusset pouches are quoted per job.
How much does a sachet run cost?
| HFFS sachets in the run | Price | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5,000 | $2,750 flat | 5,000 sachets = $0.55 each |
| 5,001–25,000 | + $0.25 per sachet over 5,000 | 10,000 = $4,000 ($0.40 each); 25,000 = $7,750 ($0.31 each) |
| 25,001–50,000 | + $0.18 per sachet over 25,000 | 50,000 = $12,250 ($0.25 each) |
| Over 50,000 | Quoted | Priced on volume, fill weight and flavor count |
How much does a stick pack run cost?
Stick packs start running in December 2026. Stick pack details.
| Stick packs in the run | Price | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5,000 | $2,750 flat | 5,000 sticks = $0.55 each |
| 5,001–25,000 | + $0.30 per stick over 5,000 | 10,000 = $4,250 ($0.43 each); 25,000 = $8,750 ($0.35 each) |
| 25,001–50,000 | + $0.22 per stick over 25,000 | 50,000 = $14,250 ($0.29 each) |
| Over 50,000 | Quoted | |
| Fills over 10 g | + $0.03 per stick | Heavier fills run slower on the stick machine |
Why is it priced this way?
- Flat up to 5,000: setup, film threading, calibration, first-pack checks and clean-up take the same time whether we fill 500 or 5,000. That fixed work is the $2,750.
- Per unit above 5,000: past that, you’re paying for machine time, so the price follows the count and drops as runs get bigger.
- Sticks cost more than sachets: our stick machine runs about half as fast as the HFFS sachet line, so the same count ties up twice the machine time.
- Counted across flavors: 5 flavors of 1,000 is a 5,000-unit run plus four $250 changeovers.
What about zipper pouches, gusset pouches and hand fill?
| Format | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| HFFS zipper pouches | Quote only | Bag size, fill weight, zipper and film change the line speed too much for one price |
| HFFS stand-up gusset pouches | Quote only | Same: speed depends on bag size and fill |
| Hand fill (no machine minimum) | From $1.00 / pouch | Plus $250 setup. Each pouch is weighed, filled, sealed, coded and checked by hand in our GMP room. Heavier or awkward fills are quoted. |
What isn’t in the run price?
| Item | Price | What it covers, and why |
|---|---|---|
| Blending | $0.50–$1.50 / lb | Not included in the run price. Weigh-up, premixing and V-blender time; set by number of ingredients, particle size and mix time, and confirmed on your quote. Nothing to blend if you send a finished blend. |
| Flavor changeover | $250 | About 45 minutes of line time: clear the last flavor, clean contact parts, reset weights, check the first packs. |
| Full clean-out (allergen or package size change) | $795 | About 3.5 hours: full sanitize from auger to deck, verified with allergen swabs. Back-to-back runs of the same allergen pay it once. |
| Supplement setup (new product) | $500 / $150 | $500 for a new formula, $150 for each added flavor. 21 CFR 111 requires a master manufacturing record, spec review and supplier approval before we make it. Each flavor is its own formula and record. |
| Lab testing | Lab price + shipping | No markup. At our labs, micro and pathogen tests run about $10–$36 each; supplement identity tests about $80–$700 per ingredient lot by method. |
| Turnkey ingredient sourcing | 15% of materials | Our Chief Procurement Officer’s sourcing and supplier qualification. Materials are paid before we order; you own every pound. How it works. |
| Rush order | +25% | Moving your job ahead means re-arranging other brands’ dates and often overtime. |
| Proof-of-concept run | $750 | 10 lb of ingredients and a small roll of film, run in your real format to prove size, fill and seal. Not sellable product. Credited toward your first run of 15,000+ units. |
| Cartoning (retail boxes) | Quoted | Box size, count and closure vary too much for one price. |
| Outbound freight | Paid by you | Always on your carrier account or quoted to you. We never carry freight. Palletizing and stretch wrap on production shipments are included. |
| Ingredients and film | Yours | You supply them (plan on about 110%; see below), or we source them for the 15% fee. |
Why do you ask for 110% of materials?
Every run loses some powder and film. The losses come from:
- machine start-up and calibration packs;
- the small overfill that keeps every pack legal under NIST Handbook 133 (why we overfill);
- seal and weight rejects at the checkweigher;
- powder left in the hopper and lost at clean-out between flavors.
Those losses are mostly fixed amounts, so small runs lose a bigger share (about 10%) than large runs (about 5%). Plan on about 110% of theoretical on small runs and about 105% on large ones. Anything left over is yours.
Worked examples
| Job | Math | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 8,000 HFFS sachets, 10 g, 2 flavors, your finished blend | $2,750 + 3,000 × $0.25 + one $250 changeover | $3,750 ($0.47 each) |
| 8,000 stick packs, 12 g, 1 flavor, we blend 212 lb at $1.00/lb | $2,750 + 3,000 × $0.30 + 8,000 × $0.03 + $212 blending | $4,102 ($0.51 each) |
| 2,000 hand-filled pouches, no allergen | 2,000 × $1.00 + $250 setup | $2,250 ($1.13 each) |
Before your ingredients, film and freight. Your quote confirms the real numbers.
Fulfillment pricing
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Inbound receiving | No charge |
| Storage | $45 / pallet / month |
| Pick & pack, single unit | $3.00 per order |
| Shipping, pay weekly | Carrier cost, no markup |
| Shipping, net 30 | Carrier cost + 18% |
| Palletized outbound from storage (pallets at cost) | $75 / pallet |
Why net 30 costs more: on terms we’re carrying your shipping bill and the risk, so it’s priced like financing and disclosed up front.
Deposits, scheduling and price lock
- Turnaround: 30 days from a signed quote to finished product.
- Deposit: 50%, due with all ingredients, film and COAs at least 7 days before your run. Non-refundable if you cancel, because we held that line time for you.
- Moving your date: 25% of the run, because we turned other work away to keep your slot.
- Price lock: pricing on your accepted quote holds for reorders of the same product for 8 months. After that, increases are capped at 5% a year, with 30 days’ notice.
- Quotes: valid for 30 days before you accept.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $2,750 per flavor or per run?
Per run, counted across flavors. Five flavors of 1,000 is a 5,000-unit run at $2,750 plus four $250 changeovers.
Why do stick packs cost more than sachets?
Our stick machine runs about half as fast as the HFFS sachet line, so the same number of units ties up twice the machine time.
Is blending included?
No. Blending is $0.50–$1.50 per pound on top of the run price, confirmed on your quote. If you send a finished blend, there’s nothing to blend.
Who pays outbound freight?
You do, always: on your carrier account or quoted to you. Palletizing and stretch wrap on production shipments are included.
Do you mark up lab testing?
No. You pay the lab’s price plus actual shipping.
Can my price go up after I accept a quote?
Not for 8 months on reorders of the same product. After that, increases are capped at 5% a year with 30 days’ notice.
Related reading
- How Much Does a Co-Packer Cost? A Real Fee Breakdown
- What Does Co-Packing Actually Cost in 2025?
- Co-Packer Minimum Order Quantities: Why They're So High (and Where to Find Lower Ones)
- What Is Yield Loss in Co-Packing?
Tell us about your run.
Pricing from $2,750 flat. FDA registered. You talk to the owner.
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